Forest Park among the top city parks in America according to Thrillist

Forest Park among the top city parks in America according to Thrillist

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Forest Park has been named as one of the best 18 city parks in the United States according to Thrillist. They put together the list of their favorites from cities across the country. There is one notable exception from this collection. Central Park isn’t there because it would be like, “putting Harry Potter on a list of best boy wizards: pretty friggin’ obvious.”

Thrillist is a website that covers food, drink, travel, and entertainment. They have several million followers on social media.

This is what St. Louis Public Radio Producer Evie Hemphill wrote about Forest Park for Thrillist:

Forest Park – St. Louis, Missouri

It’s got hundreds of acres on Central Park, countless recreation options and a truly astounding variety of natural and built environments to explore. But St. Louis’ 143-year-old Forest Park is more than a breathtaking destination, and is greater than the sum of its attractions — nearly all of which are free. In a city grappling with longstanding disparities and divides, this vast rectangle of green knows no barriers. Parkgoers find their way in from its four different sides to a shared civic treasure, a place that belongs to everyone and sparks deep pride.

And even though it’s enormous, Forest Park doesn’t feel overwhelming. It lends itself to the wanderings of a dabbler. If the six-mile bike ride around the perimeter seems a bit much, head for the paddleboats and leisurely pilot one toward the Grand Basin. Ponder the masterpieces inside the galleries of the Saint Louis Art Museum, then take in the sky and everything below from a picnic perch on the expansive lawn of Art Hill. The 1904 World’s Fair drew about 20 million people to this place, and the park still draws 13 million visitors a year. It’s also home to 17,000 animals at the Saint Louis Zoo and all sorts of wild creatures. — Evie Hemphill